At last night’s School Board meeting concerned parents addressed the bullying atmosphere in Fillmore schools, particularly middle school.

Board meeting highlights for the Fillmore Unified School District:

Winter 2018 High School Athletics Update
Information was presented to the Governing Board by Fillmore High School Principal, John Wilber.

Winter 2018 Sports Medicine Report
Information was presented to the Governing Board by Director of Sports Medicine, Breanna McLain

Revision to the Single Plan for Student Achievement, Mountain Vista Elementary School
The Governing Board approved the revision to the Single Plan for Student Achievement, Mountain Vista Elementary School.

Personnel Recommendations
The Governing Board approved all personnel recommendations including new hires, promotions, resignations, retirements, and leaves.

Source: Fillmore City/Police

The City of Fillmore and the Fillmore Police Department have received numerous complaints about residence placing objects in the street in front of their homes to reserve parking spaces. The placing of any object in any public roadway is an encroachment into the public right of way. Encroachments within the City are only allowed with a permit issued by the city pursuant to Fillmore Municipal Code Section 11.12.020. Any resident found placing objects into the streets without first obtaining a permit is in violation of this section. The City of Fillmore and the Fillmore Police Department will begin issuing citations for violations of this section beginning on May 1, 2019. The Penalty for violating this section is a fine up to $100 for the first offense.

Submitted by Jan Lee

The Fillmore Flower Show is just around the corner, April 13 & 14, 2019 at the Active Adult Center, 533 Santa Clara Street. Plan to enter something and attending during public viewing from 1:00 t0 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The beautiful blooms, dish gardens, plants, music, cafe and plant boutique are well worth the effort. Admission is FREE! You can buy a ticket to enter a silent auction with prizes donated by local businesses. This year there will be an activities table for children. Also enjoy a display of 100 years of flower show photos.

The divisions for adults to enter are listed on the website: fillmoreflowershow.org. There is a $5 fee to enter no matter how many entries you have. The judges will select the top representation of each category. Bring your entry to the Center between 7:30 and 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 12th.

While Youth are allowed to enter any division and be judged with the adults, there are a few divisions especially for Youth who reside within the boundaries of the Fillmore Unified School District beginning at age 3. Division IX—Youth Arrangements - This is a flower display, limited to 20” X 20” to be arranged at the show without adult help. Arrangement should reflect the theme of the show, “100 Years Celebrating Flowers”. Division X— Youth Composition - An original poem or short essay on a single page with or without illustration on the theme of the flower show. Division XI— Youth Art (Non-Competitive) - Original artwork reflecting the flower show theme.

Think of all the celebrations in your life where flowers play a significant role: birthdays, Valentine’s Day, weddings, graduation, love, promotions, baby born, etc. Isn’t it time to celebrate the flowers that always bring joy to the special moments in our lives? Come on you creative people! Let’s see how you can join the fun by sharing the beauty of you garden with your neighbors. We are counting on all of you to make this the best show ever!

See you at the Fillmore Flower Show!

Bob Crum

Upon awakening, I rolled out of bed and dashed to the computer for an Antelope Valley weather report: Temperature in the low 70s with a moderate breeze of 6-9mph. Great! Poppy bloom is short-lived so quickly dressed, grabbed my gear and headed north for another exciting photographic adventure.

Fake weather report! At my first stop, the weather was horrific! Not only very cold, but also very windy! What to do?

I've experienced this condition – cold and windy - before so I was prepared for gloom. I donned a winter coat, grabbed the camera and grudgingly began the short walk to the poppies. As expected, the poppies were closed tighter than a gnat's chuff! Nyctinasty! Nevertheless, I shot some photos of closed poppies for future purposes.

Nature devised a mechanism whereby plants, like poppies, protect themselves against unfavorable weather conditions by closing the flowers. The process is called nyctinasty (nĭk′tĭ-năs′tē). Wind and/or cold temperature trigger nyctinasty. Speculation suggests that cold temperatures cause the cells of the underside of a poppy to swell up more than those on the top causing the flower to close. When the temperature rises, the swelling subsides and the flower opens. Wind also triggers nyctinasty to protect the poppy's petals from blowing away.

I recall a bed of poppies on an east-facing hill about three miles up the road. Perhaps situated leeward and sheltered, I might get lucky. Though cold and windy, many sheltered and sun-warmed flowers were open and shouting TAKE MY PICTURE! So many glorious poppies without, ahem, a phonetographer in sight!

The little grove of Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) was about five miles down the road. I previously made a quick cursory trip around the area making only a few photos. This trip I spent more time in the grove. Aberrant, irregular growth patterns, and in full bloom, make the tree-like succulents interesting and very photogenic.

Moving on, I turned south on 170th Street West. A couple of miles down the road I was surprised to see thousands of poppies that weren't there previously. On the east side of 170th Street, up a dirt road, poppies filled a hillside. These too were on the southeast leeward side of a hill shielded from the wind and sun-warmed. With so many luscious photo ops, endorphins flooded my head making me giddy! Such are the joyous experiences of a wildflower photographer.

Later, I moseyed down Lancaster road, past the busy Poppy Reserve on to Munz Ranch Road. Within a few miles another southeast-facing hill full of sheltered poppies. A delightful ending to a fulfilling day of photoing poppies. Perseverance rules. Also delighted to be legally allowed to have so much fun!

One fantabulous adventure deserves another. So, last Saturday, the last day of Mermazing Mermaid Month, I went to Ventura Harbor Village. There I met Kristen, a beautiful mermaid with a lovely tail. In between Kristen meeting & greeting a line of children eager to meet a real mermaid, we made plans to meet afterward, in a kayak-for-two, under the Ventura Pier. We enjoyed shrimp scampi, champagne & great conversation. When time for her to return to her watery home, I asked for her, ahem, phone number. HA! The laughter was rollicking and hearty. Cell phones don't work underwater! However, she told me that she resides in Section 9 of Kelp Village in Seaweed County and whispered the GPS coordinates!

Photo of the week is another image of gorgeous poppies with a backdrop of fiddlenecks.

Send suggestions, comments or questions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net

Esteban Reyes, 20, Fillmore

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office concluded a lengthy investigation into two separate gang related shootings that occurred in the City of Fillmore. The first incident involved a suspect who shot two victims as they sat in a parked vehicle in the 800 block of 3rd Street on 12/17/2017. The second incident involved a suspect who shot a victim in the 800 block of 4th Street on 12/24/2018.

Through continued collaboration between the Fillmore Police Department, Sheriff’s Gang Unit, Sheriff’s Special Crimes Unit and the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit, detectives identified Esteban Reyes as the suspect in both crimes. On 03/12/2019, Reyes was arrested for three counts of 664/187 PC – Attempted Murder and 186.22(a) PC- Street Terrorism. Reyes was in Sheriff’s custody for an unrelated case involving criminal threats and brandishing of a weapon at the time of the arrest. Reyes’ bail has been set at $4,120,00.00 and he is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court today.

Report Number: 17-193071 & 18-198582
Location: Fillmore, CA
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Police Department
Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit
Sheriff’s Special Crimes Unit
Sheriff’s Gang Unit

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent, City of Residence Age
(S) Esteban Reye, Fillmore 20
(V1) Adult Male Fillmore 30
(V2) Adult Male Fillmore 22
(V3) Adult Male Fillmore 26

Prepared by: Detective Sergeant Carlos Macias
Approved by: Captain Jeff Miller

Vanessa Garcia gave a presentation at Tuesday’s City Council meeting on the beautification of the Fillmore Equestrian Center. Backhoes were used to clean up the center, and landscaping was added as pictured. Thank you to Mario and Vanessa Garcia-Robledo and family of Heritage Valley Family Farms.
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At Tuesday's regular City Council meeting, Vanessa Garcia reported on many recent improvements at the Fillmore Equestrian Center. Slides were presented showing the work done to the 4-H pens, grading, and various other changes to the premises. The Center is expected to house 124 horses. Council complemented Ms. Garcia on the quality of the improvements.

7-C through 7-G, all ordinances approved unanimously. The second reading of Ordinance No. 901 revising Fillmore Municipal Code Chapter7.12, Section 6.04.0610, Section 6.04.0615, Section 11.20.050, Section 11.2060 and Section 15.34.030 was approved.

Proposed Ordinance No. 19-902 /Zoning Ordinance Amendment 19- 01 which was prepared to bring the Fillmore Municipal Code into compliance with updated State of California requirements; the Ordinance was introduced by the City Council at its regular meeting on March 12, 2019. The City Council approved the second reading to adopt Ordinance 19-902 amending Fillmore Municipal Code Sections 6.04.0410, 6.04.0415, 6.04.3415 and 6.04.9610 regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) and finding of CEQA exemption.

The second reading to adopt Ordinance No. 904 revising Fillmore Municipal Code Sections 6.04.0215 and 6.04.8025 was unanimously approved.

City Council adopted Resolution No. 19-3688s summarily ordering the vacation of a Willow Street with reservation of easements and the vacation of portions of River Street and Heritage Valley Parkway as identified in Resolution No. 19-3688.

Council opened the public hearing associated with changes to CFD No 5 Improvement Area B and continue it to April 9, 2019.

Council approved the following: City Council/Successor Agency Board:1. Reviewed and approved the budget development policies contained in the body of this staff report; and 2. Approved the budget development schedule for FY 2019-20.

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By Amelia Aparicio of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County.

On March 22nd a group of FHS student’s grades 9-12 visited California State University Channel Islands (CSU) in Camarillo, CA for “A Day of Coding”. The students are members of the mentor program at FHS through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County (BBBS). BBBS has partnered with a financial literacy program called Mr.Incentive, a Building Blocks For Kids organization which “Empowers underprivileged youth ages of 9-18, by providing a progressive financial education curriculum and mentorship program that gives them the tools to maximize financial independence and social mobility as adults.”
The students learned about careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Students were able to interact, hands on and explore with different platforms in coding.

Building Block students earn a stipend after they complete a financial assignment. The money goes into a savings account which was created for them through the program and they will receive their earnings after graduation. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County is sponsoring a fundraiser on April 20, 2019 at the Fillmore Equestrian Center, the event will be an Earth Day Celebration that includes music, art and a silent auction. The funds will go towards FHS Building Blocks program and student scholarships. FHS mentor program would like to thank Vanessa and Mario Robledo the new management at the Fillmore Equestrian Center for sponsoring this event for BBBS. This is the first of many community events which they plan to host.

Fillmore hosted Bunco game night on Tuesday, March 12th at Fillmore-Piru Veterans Memorial Building. This event is part of the “Raise the Roof” Fundraiser series benefitting the Fillmore-Piru Veterans Memorial Building’s efforts in raising money towards a new roof. For more information please call 524-1500 ext 713. If you are thinking about joining the next Bunco game night try to be on time, 6 p.m. on the dot is when Bunco begins. It’s only $5 to play. Bunco is held the 2nd Tuesday of every month, the next one will be April 9th. If you’ve never played but are interested in playing a pre-Bunco practice game come join us this Saturday, March 16th. Mini rounds of Bunco are $1. Come by the Parks & Recreation booth to play a round! Meet us in Central Park from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Photo courtesy City of Fillmore Instagram.

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Submitted by Jan Lee

As you know, the annual Fillmore Flower Show is fast approaching. April 13th and 14th at the Active Adult Center, 533 Santa Clara Street, Fillmore. Bring your flowers, plants, dish gardens and potted plants between 7:30 and 10:00 a.m. on Saturday the 13th. Then come back between 1 and 4 p.m. to see how many ribbons you have won, each with a special gold sticker to remind you this is the 100th year since the flower show began!

There are several places around town where you can see a display of flower shows over the years. The Fillmore library, Patterson’s Hardware store, the glass display upstairs at Fillmore City Hall and the Fillmore Historical Museum all have photos and interesting things to see on display. Patterson’s, established in 1919, the year of the first Flower Show, and is on Central Avenue. Almost all second grade students in Fillmore Unified School District have been on a field trip to the Fillmore Historical Museum as part of their study of history in school. They can guide you to the museum that is behind City Hall. While you take a look at household items used 100 years ago, also see photos of the flower show. Fillmore City Hall is another fun place to visit. Take the elevator in the lobby up to the second floor to see another display. You can see your city government in action at the same time. Finally, a visit to the public library is never wasted. Take some time to enjoy the flower show displays and possibly get some ideas for your entries for this year.

Then, in April, bring an entry and visit the Fillmore Flower Show. It will be even better than usual this year because we are “Celebrating 100 Years of Flowers.” The weather is beautiful. So many colors of flowers! Participate in the activities in Fillmore. Who knows, 100 years from now your photo of a prize winning rose or iris may be on display for the 200th year of the flower show.

Bob Crum

I'm reasonably sure that y'all recently saw or heard the news about the poppy superbloom out in the Lake Elsinore area. As much as I enjoy photographing poppies, I was not about to participant in that melee.

Last week I got word that the Antelope Valley (AV) poppy bloom was in full glory. This is good news! The AV poppy bloom was sparse to nonexistent the past several years from the drought.

Off I went and got my poppy itch scratched last Sunday. Almost perfect weather, 70° with a slight breeze blowing in bursts with calm sessions between mild bursts. Wind bursts annoying but tolerable. In one particular area, I saw a nice batch of poppies. No sooner did I lift the camera, whoosh, the wind increased tossing the poppies around. Wait a little and the air was again calm. During the calm spells, I made many photos. Patience rules the day.

This year I was bewildered. I've been photographing those delightful wildflowers for many years. In years past, there were vast fields where a gazillion poppies bloomed but nothing there this year. Further down the road, poppies where I had never seen them before. Nevertheless, there were plenty of new areas in which to photograph these golden delights and away from most of the mob. I avoided the tourist-packed Poppy Reserve off Lancaster Road. Of course, 90% of the people were phonetographers taking “snapshots”! They were like ants at a party featuring Reese's peanut butter cups.

Once plentiful in the AV, Joshua trees-also called izote de desierto (Spanish for desert dagger)-some still exist in a few areas in the AV. I recognize that most people are ambivalent about Joshua trees. However, their unusual growth patterns make them very photogenic. To my surprise and delight, my favorite little Joshua tree grove is in full bloom.

Having scouted the area, and surmising that the poppies will still be blooming for another week, I will conduct a field trip/photography workshop for the poppies and Joshua trees on Sunday, 3/31, contingent on the weather. Workshop fee: $25.00, cash only paid on Sunday. No phonetographers! Participants must have a camera and must know how to use it. Auto mode is OK. Bring a polarizing filter for your lens. The workshop is about 'seeing' and making compelling compositions with proper exposure, not about how to use your camera. If the weather on scene turns nasty, fees paid promptly refunded. I'm in no hurry to buy a yacht!

As I write this on Monday, I see that 6-9 knot wind is forecast. That's about like last Sunday. If we got there at the right time, we might have a good photo shoot before it got too windy. Timing is tricky. No need to be on the scene too early because poppies don't open until the sun warms them up a little. Too windy and they don't open. The optimum time is from about 9:30 am to 2 pm. That's a substantial photographic window of opportunity.

Please note that I require a minimum of five participants and no more than ten. If five photographers don't show up at departure time, it's a no go! If you're interested, please email me by 6 pm Saturday 3/30/19 and consider your email a commitment. I can take one person in my Ford F-350 pickup. Email me with your questions.

The photo of the week is, of course, California poppies I recently photographed in the Antelope Valley. See the photo in color at: fillmoregazette.com. Happy photoing.

Sent comments, questions or suggestions to: focusonphotography.com

California –District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Gale Hartman (DOB 03/14/1938), was sentenced after pleading no contest to four felony counts of grand theft. Judge Bruce Young sentenced Hartman to 365 days in the Ventura County jail, with 60 months formal probation, and ordered him to pay $119,660 in victim restitution.

Hartman, while Treasurer of the Ventura Police Community Foundation and a civilian employee of the Ventura Police Department, stole approximately $119,660 from the Foundation by making systematic cash withdrawals over four years, using the Foundation’s debit card.

This fraud was discovered by the Ventura Police Department and submitted for investigation to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Investigation.

Submitted by Coach Cindy Blatt

FHS Swim Team hosted its first home meet on Wednesday, March 13th. Varsity Girls were defeated by Malibu – 109-56. Kat Furness swam to a win in the 200 yd. individual medley in a time of 2:18.29, and a win in the 100 yd. butterfly in a time of 1:02.59. Both times are new school records and CIF Div. 3 Consideration times. Karen Trujillo placed second in the 100 yd. backstroke in a time of 1:22.27.

Varsity Boys were defeated by Malibu – 123-29. Sam Guzman had two second place finishes in the 100 yd. butterfly and 100 yd. backstroke. Eddy Rodriguez placed second in the 50 yd. freestyle with a PR time of 26.08.

Jr. Varsity Girls defeated Malibu – 89-29. Olivia Palazuelos was a two time winner in the 200 yd. freestyle and the 100 yd. freestyle – both were personal records. Isabela Regalado won the 50 yd. backstroke. Zoe Avila won the 50 yd. breaststroke.

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United Water Conservation District and its contractor, Parks Management Company, are happy to report Lake Piru is at its highest level in over a decade. United Water’s Lake Piru is now at 73% full, compared to only 15% full last October.

The Reasoner Cove launch area at Lake Piru has now been reopened. The Juan Fernandez Day Use Area and launch area will also reopen by May 1, 2019, with sand being brought in to develop a quality swim beach.

“This is great news for recreation and water enthusiasts. We encourage people to come and enjoy the day, boating, fishing water skiing, jet skiing, swimming and evenings under the stars camping at Lake Piru,” commented Mauricio Guardado, General Manager for United Water Conservation District.

Advance reservations are encouraged and can be made for pontoon boats, fishing boats, kayaks and paddle boards, which are available for full-day or half-day rentals.

Please reserve online at: www.campone.com or www.camplakepiru.com, or by calling Lake Piru Recreation Area at 805-521-1500. Lake Piru is located at: 4780 Piru Canyon Road, Piru, CA 93040.

About the United Water Conservation District
Who we are, what we do and why it matters:
Since 1927 United Water Conservation District has served as a leader among water agencies by managing, protecting, enhancing and securing the water resources of the Santa Clara River and Oxnard Coastal Plain. The District works to protect the environment’s natural attributes and conserves runoff from all major tributaries of the Santa Clara River including Piru, Hopper, Sespe and Santa Paula Creeks.
United Water Conservation District is committed to managing the area’s water supplies through groundwater replenishment and construction and operation of efficient water supply and delivery systems. The District serves as the conservator of groundwater resources that are utilized by the cities of Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura, Santa Paula and Fillmore, as well as several mutual water districts, farms and individual pumpers. United Water also provides surface water for agricultural irrigation and treated drinking water to the cities of Oxnard and Port Hueneme. UnitedWater.org.